Cut-out toy



Feb..6, 1940, R. B. HIGGINS 2,189,550

CUT-OUT TOY Filed Dec. so. 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Zahria firwwz124 1; BY OO fU-I, W W

ATTORN EYS Feb. 6, 1940. R. B. HIGGINS 2,139,550

CUT-OUT TOY Filed Dec. so, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTO R N EYS PatentedFeb. 6, 1940 CUT-OUT TOY Roberta Brown Higgins, Westmount, Quebec,Canada Application December 30, 1938, Serial No. 248,461

4 Claims.

This invention relates to cut-out toys of the general class in which thetoy is cut in outline from a sheet of paper, cardboard, orother suitablematerial, after which the piece is, folded to make the desired article.Heretofore it has been common practice to make the outline double, thatis, with'two complete representations of the de sired figure, forexample a four-footed animal, so that when folded along the line onwhich they are joined, usually at the top of. the back, they willrepresent one complete figure. In such case any slight resiliency orspringiness of the sheet material gives the two sections a tendency tounfold, or spread apart. To overcome this tendency it hasbeen proposedto provide one of the sections with supplementary strips or tabs whichcan be fastened to an adjoining folded section, thus holding such two infixed relation to each other.

The present invention in its preferred embodiment provides a cut-out toyin which at least one of the sections is formed with parts connecteddirectly to another section along lines of fold which are ofisetrelatively to one another so that folding merely on these lines will notonly bring such parts into proper relationship to the section to whichthey are directly connected but will also cause the parts, as they arefolded, to approach one another so that they can be secured together,releasably or permanently, in such proper relationship to said othersection. These lines of fold, along which the foldable parts aredirectly connected to another section, are preferably offset byinclining them angularly relatively to one another, so that if the lineswere extended they would intersect. However, in some cases the lines offold may have a parallel relationship. In such case the offsetting isobtained by transverse separation, as for example in one of theembodiments hereinafter described. In all forms of the invention theparts referred to as approaching each other as they are folded areconnected to the said other section directly instead'of by interposedstrips or the like.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 shows the outline ofa cut-out as printed on a flat sheet of paper, cardboard or othersuitable material, the outline in this case being shaped to produce thefigure of an elephant when properly cut out and folded. In this toy twolines of fold are provided, arranged at a slight angle to each other.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the figure produced by folding the cut-outillustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows in outline a cut-out for representing a giraffe, in whichthe two parts of one section are arranged to fold toward the othersection on parallel lines which are displaced or oifset transversely toeach other.

Fig. 4 is a side view of the figure produced by folding the cut-outillustrated in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a detail view showing folding parts shaped for lockinginter-engagement in their folded relationship.

Referring to Fig. 1, the sheet 9 on which the outline is printed is tobe out along the continuous solid lines, forming amain or front section[0 of the animal, and a rear section composed of two parts H, 12, joineddirectly to section ll along two angularly offset lines I4, I5. Part IIrepresents one of the hindlegs of the animal and part i2 one of the forelegs. It will be observed that byreason of the angular offset ordisplacement of the lines of fold l4, l5, the two parts approach eachother as they are folded rearwardly and downwardly, and that as they doso portions of the two parts come into overlapping relationship so thatthey can be secured together in any convenient manner. Thus a slit, asindicated by the line l3, Fig. 1, can be cut in part l2, and part I! canbe shaped with a point, as l6, which can be inserted in the slit. Thecreature thus produced with the parts II, 12 in overlapping relationshipis illustrated in Fig. 2. In this figure part II, behind section Ill, isindicated by the dash lines, and part l2 by the dash-dot lines, with thepoint 86 inserted in the slit l3 which is indicated by the dash anddouble-dot line.

In Fig. 3 a cut-out for a giraffe is shown, comprising a front section20, and a rear section made in two parts 2 I, 22, the latter having aslit 23 suitably located. It will be observed that the lines of fold. 2425, along which the parts 2|, 22 are directly connected to section 20,are in parallel relationship; but that these lines being offset ordisplaced transversely so as to be unaligned, the parts are inoverlapping relation to each othe when folded, thus enabling point 26 ofpart 2I.to.

be inserted in the slit 23, as shown in Fig. 4.

To hold the folded. parts together with suiiicient firmness the width ofthe inserted portion and the length of the slit can be proportioned toprovide a snug fit, and a sheet material can be used which has a ratherrough surface so as to increase the friction of the overlapped portions.The overlapped portions can be more permanently secured by means of anadhesive, for which purpose one or both portions which are to beoverlapped can be provided with a spot of adhesive,

as indicated, for example, at IT, Fig. 1, and at 21, I

Fig. 3. In such case the adhesive provided is conveniently one whichonly needs to be touched with water to make it sticky. When an adhesiveis to be used the slit can be omitted or left unused. Instead of relyingon mere friction or Wedging of the interengaging parts they may beconstructed to interlock, as for example in Fig. 5, in which the pointedportion l5 of part H of Figs. 1 and 2 is provided with tabs 28 to hookover the ends of the slit l3.

Whatever the means employed to hold the overlapping parts together, thelines of fold, as M, I5, in Fig. 1, and 24, 25, in Fig. 3, should be soarranged that when the parts are properly overlapped and secured therear parts, say the legs 2!, 22, in Fig. 4, will be far enough behindthe front section to enable the creature to stand upright. This spacedrelation of the two sections is then maintained, since spreading of thetwo sections by unfolding along the lines of fold requires that thefolded rear parts shall themselves spread, and this latter spreading isresisted by the securement of the overlapped parts together.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specificconstructions herein illustrate'dfi'nd' described but can be embodied inother forms without departure from its spirit as defined by thesubjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A folded cut-out toy object of sheet material and composed of twosections, one section being unitary to represent the complete object inprofile, and the other section being formed in two parts shaped torepresent different portions of the object and connected directly to theother section along lines individual to the respective parts on whichlines said parts are respectively folded toward said other section, saidlines being offset relatively to one another to cause portions of thefolded parts to overlap in their folded relationship, the overlappingportions being secured together to oppose unfolding of the said foldedparts relatively to each other and relatively to the unitary section.

2. A folded cut-out toy as claimed in the we ceding claim, in which thelines of fold are offset angularly.

3. A folded cut-out toy made as claimed in claim 1, in which the linesof fold are in parallel relationship and ofiset transversely to enablesaid parts to partially overlap one another in their folded relationshipto the other section, the overlapping portions of said part beingsecured one to another to oppose unfolding.

4. A cut-out of sheet material foldable to form a toy quadruped animal,comprising a unitary body section having a head and fore and hind legsfor one side of the animal; and separate overlapping fore and hindlegged parts for the other side, integral with the body section alongindividual lines of fold at the back line of the body section to foldrelatively thereto, said lines of fold being offset relatively to eachother to cause portions of the foldable leg parts to overlap whenfolded, said portions being formed for inter-engagement in theiroverlapping relationship to resist unfolding of said parts relating toeach other and relatively to the body section.

ROBERTA BROWN HIGGINS.

